Improvement in hoop-skirts



UNITED STATES Finca.

THOMAS S. GILBERT, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKIRTS.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, T. S. GILBERT, of Derby, in the county of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoop-Skirts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making .part of this application.

My invention relates to a novel method of forming ladies7 hoop skirts; and it has for its object to produce a hoop-skirt which shall be more even or smooth where the hoop-wires are connected to form the hoop, (or circle,) and much stronger and more durable,less liable to have any of its hoops ends protrude or fret against garments Worn over the skirt, and at the same time equally as or more economical 0f manufacture, than those now made; and to these ends my invention may be said to consist in overlapping the ends of each hoop wire or spring and securing its ends in vertical tapes or their equivalent, which are also connected to the portion of the hoop adjacent to the overlapped end, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe more fully the construction and operation of my invent-ion, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of` this invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of my improved hoop-skirts, and Fig. 2 a similar view of another skirt, showing a modification of the same invention.

In Fig. 1, A is the waistband; B B, the vertical tapes; d, the bustle-hoops, and e the annular or continuous skirt-hoops, and f the bottom hoop.

The several parts of the skirt are made in the usual manner, and all arranged together in the manner well known to those skilled in the art, and as shown, except that the continuous hoop springs or wires c, instead of having their ends attached or coupled together by extension-clasps, are lapped over some distance and secured in any convenient and suitable manner to the vertical tapes B B. I have shown the ends of the hoops e secured in the tapesB- by means of eyelets inserted in the tape and through an eye in a clasp or lug fitted fast in the end of the hoopwire.

This mode of securing the ends of the hoop to the tape will be understood by those skilled in the art of skirt manufacture, and is a simple and effective means; but it will be understood that in carrying out my invention any other inode of fastening the hoops ends may be employed. It will be understood that by overlapping the hoops e, as shown, and securing their ends to the tapes B B', to (which, the other portion of the hoops also is connected,) that portion of the skirt where the hoops e are overlapped will be the strongest instead of the weakest. as in many other forms of skirt, and that the ends will all be held or retained securely in their proper positions.

If it be deemed expedient, the tapes B B may be formed with pockets where the loops e pass through (or by) them, and the hoops e may be left loose in said pockets, so that the two tapes B may be drawn nearer together or farther apart to increase the lap of the hoops and consequently the size of the skirt.

At Fig. 2 I have shown another modification of my invention, in which the ends of the hoops c are secured to two auxiliary tapes, C and C, which extend only from the bottoni hoop, g, to the lowest bustle-hoop. or to the lower portion of the bustle. This form of skirt may be found more desirable for an adlinstable skirt, since in this form the two tapes B B, to which the ends of the bustlehoops d are fastened, are moved farther apart by the distention of the hoops, (which brings the tapes C C nearer together,) so that the opening through which the head and shoulders of the wearer have to pass is increased iu size and the putting on and off of the skirt facilitated, whereas in the form shown at Fig. 1 the tapes B are forced nearer' together by distending the hoops e,- but it will be understood that in making my improved skirt either rigid or adjustable a variety of modes may be adopted of carrying out the idea in which my invention rests, Viz: that of extending over or overlapping the ends of the springs e and securing them to the same tape that retains the other portion of the hoops. Of course if one broad tape or band were employed in lieu ofthe two shown, and the ends of the hoops e overlapped in said broad band, the same end might be effected, and my invention be involved; but I do not consider this method so good as that shown.

I am aware that the ends of the hoopsprings of a skirt have been overlapped in a metallic clasp-as, for instance, in the eXtension clasp; but this mode offer-ming the hoops ef the springs is entirely different from mine, and practice has shown that in this mode of connecting the ends of the hoops together they are eXtreme] y liable to become separated and protrude or spring out (on a tangent to the circle of the hoop) and become annoying and even dangerous.

I am also aware that the ends of the hoops have been secured in two separate tapes, and these two tapes then placed so that all one set of ends would lap over the other set of ends, and the outer tape then secured at interval-s to the hoops over which it was placed-as, for instance, in the patent granted to Mann and McDonald; but I do not consider my invention as at all similar to such an arrangement, since in such an arrangement the inner set of ends (with their tape) are free to protrude through the spaces between the hoops (under which they lay) and induce to the same objection before alluded to, and which my invention effeetually avoids or overcomes; and in such an arrangement the hoops7 ends being all secured in tapes not connected to the other portions of the hoops, it would be necessary to also connect these tapes to all the hoops at another point to effect anything like the result of my invention, and then the expense and complexity of the skirt would be greatly increased.

I am not aware of any formation of skirt in which the ends of the hoops are overlapped and made fast in (a tape or tapes) which also retain the other portion of the hoop, so that the portion of the skirt Where the ends of the hoops overlap and are secured is made to present asmooth surface like the rest of the skirt, and so that said portion of the skirt will be more durable and stronger than any other portion.

What I therefore claim, broadly, as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Overlapping the ends of each spring e and securing its ends in or to atape or tapes, which also retains that portion of the spring adjacent to each end of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 10th day of December, 1863. l

THOMAS s. GILBERT. [n s] 4In presence of- CEAS. H. DE FOREST, THOMAS B. DE FoREs'r. 

